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(No Model.) W 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

O. A. KNIGHT & O. P. HIGGINS. V DIE FOB. SHAPING SADDLES FOR STEAM BOILER3.

Patented Apr. 18, 1893.

rlllll .llllllllr wi/imemo y k War/w (N0 Modl.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2. O. A. KNIGHT 8v 0. P. HIGGINS. DIE FOR SHAPING SADDLES FOR STEAM BOILERS. No. 495,592

Patented Apr. 18, 1893.

wi/bvvmw a 1 5 will A W I H i 1? NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. KNIGHT, OF, GLASGOWV, AND CAMPBELL P. HIGGINS, OF

KILBOWIE,

SCOTLAND.

DIE FOR SHAPING SADDLES FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,592, dated April 18, 1893.

Application filed March 26, 1891. Serial No. 386,580- (No model.) Patented in EnglandApril 3. 1890,N0- 51 6 1 in France y 1890,110. 205,555; in Belgium May 8, 1890,110. 90, 189, and in Germany May 8, 1890,1Tos. 56,681 and 57,534.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. KNIGHT, residing at Glasgow,in the county of Lanark, and CAMPBELL P. HIGGINS, residing at Kilbowie, in the county of Du mbarton, Scotland, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Dies for Shaping Metal Plates, (patented in Great Britain April 3, 1890, No. 5,165; in France, No. 205,555, dated May 8, 1890; in Belgium, No. 90,489, dated May 8, 1890,andin Germany, Nos. 56,681 and 57,534, dated May 8, 1890,) of which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the shaping of metal plates; and maybe stated to be particularly applicable to the forming of the tube seat and otherwise completing the shaping of a plate in the manufacture of cross-boxes or saddles for attachment to the steam and water drum of the well known Babcock dz VVilcox type of sectional steam generators, although it is evidently equally applicable with slight modifications to the forming and shaping of plates for other uses.

As a more complete understanding of the invention will be had from a detailed description of the improved mechanism, such description will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations in different positions of the improved dies, a plate being shown in position for operation and being operated upon. Fig. 3 is a partial elevation and vertical section of the dies in their closed position. Fig. 1 is a partplan and horizontal section taken on the line 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section taken on the line 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the dies in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to said drawings it will be under-' stood that the dies shown are particularly adapted to the shaping of cross-boxes or saddles. These dies consist of a die block H and a creasingdieJhavingapair of shaping blocks 1. The dieblock H is placed upon the platen Z of the press and will be of semi-circular form corresponding to that ultimately given to the outer portion of the plate. The center of this die block is recessed midway of its width from its top surface downward to receive a pair of removable bearing bars h, the upper surfaces of which arein alignment and preferably slightly inclined toward one side as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The recess of the die block over the upper face of the bearing bars h flares downwardly as shown in Fig. 5. These bearing bars, while they are shown as connected to the die block by removable pins 13, may, so far as their function is concerned, be simply loosely mounted in the die block. The upper surface of the bearing bars h may extend in alignment with the upper surface of the die block or as shown may lie below that surface according as the form it may be desired to impart to the resulting cross-box may vary. The creasing block J of the upper die is centrally arranged with respect to the vertical axis ofthe die block and is provided midway of its length with lateral extensions the under face of which is curved to conform with the curved surface of the die block. The creasing block is also provided on its under side with a creasing bar j extending centrally the length or a little more than the length of its supporting block. This creasing bar is slightly narrower than the underlying bearing. bar 72. and its under face is inclined to correspond with that of the bar It as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and is adapted upon the closing of the dies to enter the recess in the die block and coact with the die block and bearing bars 71. in forming the tube seat A, extending longitudinally along the cross-box plate.

The shaping blocks I each consist of a pair of plates connected together and held at a suitable distance apart by tie bars 14, and at their inner upper ends are pivoted upon journal pins 15 passing through the creasing blocks J. The lower facet is slightly widened as best shown in Fig. 4, and is curved to correspond with the contour of the die block H, and forms, when the dies are closed as in Fig. 3, a continuation of the curve of the lateral projections j. At the extremelower end of each of the plates of the shaping blocks 1, the curved surface is continued crosswise from plate to plate by an angle bar k, that is securely bolted to each of the plates as shown and may be varied in position with respect to the lower edge of its shaping block by means of the bolt holes shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the shaping dies thus constructed, the plate Y having the bulges A is placed centrally upon the die block H as shown in Fig. 1; the shaping blocks I being then in the position shown and the sill X of the press prevented from closing them during its action by a removable stop block K. As the dies are pressed together by the action of the press, the lower ends of the shaping blocks I bear against the outer ends of the plate Y immediately outside of the bulges A and bend the center of the plate bodily over the upper surface of the die block, so that the bulges in the plate will extend from the projecting ends of the bearing bars h substantially in the position shown in Fig. 2. When this occurs, the creasing bar j will have reached the surface of the metal and will upon the further movement of the dies together crease the longitudinal center of the plate and along one side of each of the bulges to their apexes down into the recess in the die block and onto the face of the bearing bar It. By the time this is completed the curved face of the lateral projections j will have met the surface of the plate and will thereby hold it firmly in contact with the t )p of the die block I-I all as shown in Fig. 2. The removable block K which has prevented the further action of the shaping blocks I during the formation of the tube-seat crease A, will be wholly withdrawn so that the sill of the press will be free to bear upon the upper ends of the shaping blocks I so as to rock them from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the closed position shown in Fig. 3, thereby having caused the ends of the shaping blocks to have moved the ends of the plate Y into contact with the die block, and upon the meeting of the curved face i of the shaping blocks press the entire plate in forcible contact with the die block whereby its shape is positively imparted to the plate and its formation completed. The shape of the lower face of the shaping blocks I is such as to allow their plates to pass to either side of the bulge A in the plate so that its curved face will meet the plate upon each side of the bulges, While its cross bar 70, will meet the entire surface of the plate at the base of the bulge as indicated in Fig. 3. In order to discharge the thus completely formed crossbox from the dies, the removable pins 13 are drawn from the die block H so that upon the upward movement of the creasing block and the shaping blocks, the bearing bars 71. will move therewith either wholly out of their seats in the die block or sufficiently to permit the cross-box tobe removed therefrom. Should it be found that the shaping blocks do not act with force enough to properly curve the plate with the downward pressure exerted by the sill of the press, of course lateral side pressure against the sides of the shaping blocks may be employed to insure their proper action. The rough edges of the plate forming the crossboX may then be trimmed and the cross-box should it be desired to smooth its flanges and bring it still further to an absolute contour may then be reheated and placed upon the die block H in position to be acted upon by finishing dies, which, however, forms no part of the present invention.

From the foregoing it will be understood tha the plate whether previously shaped or not by other dies, is creased longitudinally and if previously bulged, creased to the apex of each of the bulges to form a seat and that after this seat is formed, and while the creasing bar is still in forcible contact with the metal plate, the shaping blocks move to complete the shaping of the plate to a curved form.

WVhat is claimed is 1. In an apparatus for shaping metal plates, the combination of a die block provided with bearing bars forming one portion of a tube seat die and a coacting creasing bar provided with the other portion of the tube seat die, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for shaping metalplates, the combination with a die block having tube seat bearing bars extending laterally from the face of the die block, and a coacting creasing bar, substantially as described. I

3. In an apparatus for shaping metal plates, the combination of a die block having a central recess therein and tube seat bearing bars extending outward from said recess, and a coacting creasing bar, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a jointed shaping die with a central portion having a tube seat creasing bar, and a die block coacting therewith, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a die block, of a coacting die consisting of a main block having a curved central acting face and two side blocks and each having a curved acting face adapted to form a continuation of the curved central acting face, substantially as described. 6. In an apparatus for shaping wrought metal plates, the combination of the die blocks I-I, having tube seat bearing bars h, with the jointed shaping blocks I, J, having a creasing bar j and the stop piece K, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES A. KNIGHT. O. P. HIGGINS. Witnesses:

G. W. THODE,

21 Bothwell Street. WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,

O. E, 62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow. 

